The Secret to Her Success: Maria Elizabeth Receives Best Small Business Award from ALX Chamber
If you haven’t met Maria Elizabeth yet, let me introduce you. She’s a vibrant force with a sharp head for business, who thrives on building and growing relationships with the community, her clients and her team. In Old Town for almost 20 years, she has owned Salon deZEN for nearly 16. Her leadership style is apparent when you speak to her team – she cares about them, their tenure is important to her and their loyalty is rewarded. She provides training (free of charge) every other Monday so they can upskill and learn new techniques to stay cutting-edge.
When I first stepped into her salon, I was drawn in by the buzz and good energy – and the artwork, she created it herself. It was early morning and the place was packed. She gave me a tour and fifteen minutes later, I was newly educated on sustainability and recycling in the haircare industry. Who even knew there was such a thing?
In her backroom, I spotted a very tall black box filled with human hair. I snapped a pic and later shared it with my husband whose immediate reaction was: “ewww.” Mine: “You don’t understand, that’s brilliant and less wasteful!” Not only is hair composted, old dye is turned into clean energy, and all used foils, color tubes, plastic bottles and cardboard are recycled. Maria shared that, “Over 90 percent of everything we use is recycled through a special salon recycling program, and we cover the cost.”
Salon deZEN also has a refill bar where customers can refill their products for ten percent off. “We’re keeping plastic out of the supply chain.”
On her training program for up-and-coming stylists, she said, “schools just don’t equip them with all the knowledge they need to succeed. So we offer hands-on training every other Monday and it’s 100 percent free. They go through foiling, balayage, layers – the whole gamut, so that when they get on the floor they are light years ahead of others just completing their programs.”
She attributes this training to her retention rate. “Most of the time people in school can’t afford to take advanced training because they’re not working yet. We offer continual training because we value each and every one of our team members.”
On her brand, Maria describes it as “inclusive, eco-conscious and equitable. There are things that happen in our industry where people don’t get paid. I want a business that works for everyone: the community, the employees and the environment. It’s a holistic ecosystem.”
Maria has been a member of The Chamber ALX for many years and this was her second year being nominated for Best Small Business. She admitted that she hadn’t expected to win, and was sitting in the last row in the back when she heard her name called. “I was so surprised, I nearly tripped walking up.”
The Chamber has given her a sense of business community, “they lean in and celebrate your successes and support you when you have a challenge that comes up. Businesses are competitive but it’s still collaborative.” She experienced a full circle moment when Joe Collum from Burke & Herbert Bank, a sponsor of the event, approached her afterwards. “He said he was at my closing, and I remembered that, yes, he had given me my business loan when I was only 24!”
In the near future, her salon will begin offering nonsurgical hair replacement options, stay tuned. And further down the road, she’s exploring expansion and we’re all for it. Grow that ecosystem!
Congratulations to Maria Elizabeth and the team at Salon deZEN for winning Best Small Business from The Chamber ALX!
Related: Street Style: Maria Elizabeth
